Seasoning process for lumber



June 25, 1929. R. z. BRAKE SEASONING PROCESS FOR LUMBER Filed Jan.`v 2, 1923 v -11.114111114'-, 111,1 l', I- 1 .LLLLJLJLAJLL llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll i lll/ll III/11111111 l Il Il l 1 l )Limi zmnke latam Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES ROBERT Z. BRAKE, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

SEASONING .PROCESS FOR LUMBER.

Application mea January 2, leze. serial No. 510,257.

This invention relates to a process for the treatment of strips of lumber, such as timbers, boards or planks, whereby the moisture contained in green wood maybe removed or extracted more quickly than'ordinarily, and without forming checks therein ror otherwise injuring it, and without impairing its strength. An advantage in the operation of the process is that it tends to cause the desirable, natural color of the timber to be retained, and, if stained or discolored before being treated, it tends to restore the natural color.

It is believed that no natural or artificial y process has heretofore been disclosedor used, which, in operation, will attain the above objects.

It isv obvious that the natural or open air method is objectionable. While lumber may eventually become seasoned when placed in piles out of doors, the process is slow since sun heat is largely depended upon, and exposure to rain retards seasoning. Also when exposed to continued dry weather, cracks and checkswill generally be formed in timbers, planks and boards long before seasoning is effected. Also, on account of exposure to dust, and to rain,and lack of uniformity in drying, the lumber becomes stained and discolored, whereas this process causes it to retain the desirable natural color, if it possesses it before treatment, or toassume that natural color, if not.

1tl is well known that artificial methods heretofore employed for seasoning lumber,

such as timbers, boards or planks, operate toA injure them, and often unfits them for commei-cial use, said methods causing the lumber to dry so quickly at the surface that it soon becomes checked and split, the cracks 4 and checks thereafter being augmented and increased in size when the moisture escapes from the inside. Even comparatively thin pieces, where the shrinkage will be proper'- tionately small, the loss will be quite great; and in instances where planks of two or more inches in thickness are produced from green wood, the damage will be still greater.

By use of the herein described process, timbers, planks or boards newly sawn from n green or water-soaked wood, may be quickly proved by causing them tol assume their desired, natural color. To accomplish this, the timber' cards or planks are conducted are heuse, and are the sections. porting means c as being in the nature of a yresilient catch 1t 1s, ofcourse, understood supported horizontally, one above the other, with their edges preferably in engagement and arranged in sections as shown in a companion application for Letters Patent filed by this Aapplicant on October 5, 1922, for lumber moving and storage means, Serial 592,459, new Reissue Patent No. 16,361, reissued June 15, 1926, this arrangement providing vertical, unobstructed passageways, permitting air to move between the sections. In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 shows an end view of planks disposed horizontally, in sections, in a seasoning house, the planks of the several sections being supported yone above the other with their edges in engagement. F ig. 2 is a plan View, being a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing one of the catches C.

In the drawing, numeral 3 indicates a seasoning house which may have any desired proportion of parts or form, adapted to protect the planks 4 or other lumberstrips or timbers until they become seasoned, and which will permit a movement of air therethrough.

Any suitable means may be provided for supporting and maintaining the lumber strips 4 in engaging relation, edge-to-edge,

vtov provide vertical sections 5 adjacent to each other, and thereby providing approximately parallel passageways between the several sections, the means herein shown being hanger-bars 7 provided with catches c (shown more fully in my companion application referred to liereinbefore) at their lower ends which 'engage the lowermost planks of While I have shown the'supthat other forms of means for supporting the lumberbetween the hanger bars 7 may be utilized without departing from the spirit of my invention. Since cool, dry lair has a greater' avidity and capacity than warm,

moist, ground-surface air for absorbing moisture, .means are shown for causing a movement of air from the inta-ke 8 at the top of the seasoning house to be discharged from a power air-fan 9 at the bottom of the heuse. The structural element-s thus described are, for the most part, shown and seasoned without injury and may be im- ""claimed in the companion patent applicapractice e remain fi until they become seasoned, and since air may be kept in motion all of the time, the seasoning of the lumber will be practically continuous, this obviously being of advantage to expedite seasoning, as compared with ordinary or natural methods.

Since the hanger-bars 7 are disposed between the sections, the area, in plan, for the air passageways 6 will depend upon the thickness of the hanger-bars, and these bars may haveany suitable proportions to control the volume of air which may move through said passageways. Y

Whileit has been stated that the planks of veach section are disposed in a horizontal position, this particular position is not important provided the planks of a section lie one upon another in a. vertical plane with their edges in engagement to forni upright, adjacent sections.

Also while it is preferred that the sections 5 shall be disposed vertically, an exact vertical position for the. sections is not necessary. This vertical position is desirable for the reason that the source of supply of dry, cool air is generally from higher instead of lower altitudes, although either source may be used, and if the passageways are vertical, the movement of air may be more direct.

It is preferred that the hanger-bars be of a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the lumber adjacent thereto so that the volume of air moving in the passageways may be uniform relative to the volume of the lumber, to attain uniformity of seasoning for all of the various sizes of lumber.

It will be seen that, by use of the herein described process, moisture may be removed from the surface lumber more or less quickly, at will, and as may be desired, and more quickly than it would be removed if subjected to an artificial or heated air process, the reason for this being that cool, dry air isl employed, and therefore the present process is of great advantage for avoiding cracks or checks; and by itsvuse, moisture from the interior parts of thelumber will be removed without checking or splitting. Also the piocess is of advantage, as compared with the natural process since operation may be continuous instead of intermittent sothat seasoning of the lumber may be quicker. The lumber will be restored'to its natural color, if already discolored, and it is obvious that staining or discoloring may be avoided. One reason why the objects first mentioned may be accomplished by use of the invention is because passageways are employed, the upright walls of which consist of two opposed sides of the exposed planks, another reason being that cool, dry air moves in the passageways.

It will be noted that theA hanger-bars are so spaced between the two adjacent tiers or sections of lumber that they tend to prevent if desired. However, each timber, plank o r Y board of a section should be disposed withA its opposed, longitudinaledges in, approxi# mately, a vertical plane. l

I claim as my invention,-

1. A process for seasoning lumber suoli as timbers, planks or boards, which consists in supporting themone above another in a seasoning house with their longitudinal edges in engagement in approximately vertical sections adjacent to each other to provide passageways of approximately uniform areas between said sections, subjecting the lumber in said sections to the action of air coming from and having substantially the degrees of temperature of the outside atmosphere,sub stantially the entire area of said passageways at their uppermost and lowermost parts being in open communication with the air in the seasoning house, the circulating airseasoning the lumbei' undei substantially out of doors conditions without the damaging effects of the hot sun, rain, or the like, and without cracking and discoloring the lumber.

2. A process for seasoning lumber, such as timbers, planks or boards, which consists in supporting them one above another in a seasoning house with their respective sides approximately in vertical alignment to provide sections adjacent to each other with passageways of approximately uniform areas therebetween, subjecting the lumber in said sections to the action of air coming from and having substantially the degrees of temperature of the outside atmosphere, substantially the entire areas of said passageways at their uppermost and lowermost parts being..

in open communication with thev air in the seasoning house, the circulating air seasoning the lumber under substantially out' of doors conditions without the damaging effects of the hot sun, rain, or the like, andYV without cracking and discoloring the lumber.

3. The method of seasoning lumber which consists in supporting the pieces of lumberA one above another in a seasoning house with their respective sides approximately in vertical alignment to provide spaced apart seetiOnS with substantially vertically extendingr passageways therebetween, causing outside atmospheric air at substantially atmospheric temperature to enter the seasoning house,

positively forcing said air to move vthrough saidpassageways to Contact withthe exposed faces of the lumber and gently extract moisture therefrom Without cracking or discolorng the lumber being seasoned, the passage- Ways being n open communication at both ends throughout approximately the entire areas of said ends with the air in the seasoning house, and then expelling said air from the seasoning house, the ar during its pas sage through `said passageways seasoning the lumber under substantially out of doors 10 conditions Without the damaging effects of exposure to the sun, rain, or the like, to produce seasoned lumber of natural color and substantially free from cracks, Warpage and exterior shrinkage.

In testimony whereof, I have aHlXed my slgnature.

ROBERT Z. DRAKE. 

